The world’s most painful insect sting - Justin Schmidt

譯者: Camila Lin 審譯者: Amanda Zhu

Welcome to It Hurts!

歡迎來到《好痛哦！》

One of these creatures is thought to possess

在這三種昆蟲裡，

the world’s most painful insect sting.

有一種蟲有全世界最毒的刺。

If you were to guess, would it be:

如果你想先猜猜看，

the ant that forages in rainforest canopies?

你覺得究竟會是 在雨林樹冠裡覓食的螞蟻，

The bee that protects a hive of delectable honey?

是保護存有美味蜂蜜巢穴的蜜蜂，

Or the wasp that paralyzes tarantulas?

還是能夠麻痺狼蛛的黃蜂？ ［還活著］

Let’s find out!

讓我們一起找出答案吧！

［細腰亞目：昆蟲綱下的一個亞目］

Ant, bee, and wasp venoms contain a variable cocktail of compounds

螞蟻、蜜蜂跟黃蜂的毒液， 都含有數種化合物，

designed to incite unsavory sensations and even compromise bodily functions.

能引發不適反應， 甚至損害身體機能。

Entomologist Justin O. Schmidt’s sting pain index

昆蟲學家賈斯汀‧施密特制定的 「施密特螫痛指數」，

describes and ranks the pain of around 100 kinds of insect stings.

描述被近百種蟲的毒刺螫到後的疼痛， ［技術問題，請稍待］

並為它們評定等級。 ［昆蟲名／疼痛指數／備註］

One of our three competitors claims the nastiest one.

而冠軍就是我們的其中一個參賽者。

First, let’s consider the Western honeybee’s sting,

先讓我們來看看蜜蜂的刺吧。 ［0.5～0.625吋］

Schmidt says it’s like “a flaming match head has landed on your arm

施密特形容被牠螫到就像是 「燃燒的火柴棒掉在你的手臂上，

and is quenched first with lye and then sulfuric acid.”

先用鹼液，再用硫酸撲滅火勢。」 ［模擬情境］

This discomfort is accomplished with venom

引起如此劇痛的毒液， ［非模擬情境，真的很痛］

that’s packed with a pain-causing peptide called “melittin”

含有大量引發疼痛的胜肽「蜂毒肽」，

and flesh-softening enzymes that disperse the venom.

以及能柔軟肌膚、擴散毒液的酵素。

These enzymes may also cause allergic reactions

這些酵素也可能會引發過敏反應， ［模擬情境］

and even lead to fluid buildup in the lungs.

甚至可能導致肺積水。

Because worker honeybees have barbed stingers that burrow into certain victims,

因為工蜂刺入目標的毒針有倒鉤，

they usually can't sting without leaving part of their bodies behind,

在螫人時，身體的一部分也會脫落， ［螫這裡］

which ultimately kills them.

最終導致牠們的死亡。

Since only the queen bee has the ability to reproduce,

因為只有女王蜂有生育能力，

a worker bee’s self-sacrifice helps ensure that the colony— and their genes—

一隻工蜂的自我犧牲，

能確保蜂群跟基因都能延續。

will prevail.

But before they go,

但在死亡之前， ［又一個犧牲者］

they release an alarm pheromone that activates a mass attack

牠們會釋放一種警戒費洛蒙， 動員蜂群一起攻擊目標，

and often targets some of the most vulnerable sites on their victim’s body.

還常針對目標身體最脆弱的幾個部位。

The tarantula hawk wasp sting is, as Schmidt says,

根據施密特的描述，被沙漠蛛蜂螫到會 ［沙漠蛛蜂，兩吋］

“blinding, fierce, shockingly electric ... A bolt out of the heavens.

「頭暈目眩，劇痛，有強烈觸電感…… 就像是從天而降的雷霆，

Lie down and scream.”

你只能躺著放聲尖叫。」 ［模擬情境］

The sensation might last just 5 agonizing minutes for humans,

對人類來說， ［非模擬情境，真的很痛］

這痛苦可能只會持續五分鐘，

but it leaves tarantulas— the wasp’s preferred target— permanently paralyzed.

但牠們最喜歡的獵物，狼蛛，

卻會因此永久癱瘓。

After the wasp stings a tarantula, aiming for a crucial bundle of nerves,

在蛛蜂螫刺狼蛛體內特定的神經束後， ［螫這裡］

it lays an egg on the immobilized spider.

牠會將卵產在動彈不得的狼蛛體內。

Once hatched, the wasp’s larva spends its formative days

幼蟲孵化後，

在整個幼蟲時期， 牠都會待在營養充足的狼蛛體內，

in the bountiful environment of the tarantula’s body—

devouring it alive.

啃食還活著的宿主。

Aside from paralyzing the tarantula,

除了癱瘓，

the wasp’s sting doesn’t seem to do further harm.

蛛蜂的刺並不會對狼蛛造成其他傷害。 ［還活著］

This functions to preserve the spider as fresh meat for the wasp’s offspring.

這是為了確保在蛛蜂幼蟲孵化後， 還能吃到狼蛛的新鮮美味。

The rainforest-dwelling bullet ant’s sting yields

施密特說，被住在雨林的子彈蟻螫到， ［子彈蟻，1.5 吋］

“pure, intense, brilliant pain.

會帶來「純粹、狂暴、 無法忍受的劇痛，

Like walking over a flaming bed of charcoal

就像是走在燒紅的木炭上， ［模擬情境］

with a 3-inch nail embedded in your heel,” according to Schmidt.

腳後跟還插著三寸長的釘子。」

And this torture often lasts more than 12 hours.

而且這份折磨經常超過十二小時。 ［模擬情境］

A neurotoxic peptide called poneratoxin

疼痛之所以會持續這麼久， 是因為人體試著代謝

that our bodies struggle to degrade is what makes the pain last so long.

這種叫做「針蟻毒素」 的神經毒性胜肽。

In addition to agony, poneratoxin can induce trembling, cold sweats,

除了痛苦，它也會導致顫抖、冷汗、 ［模擬情境］

nausea, vomiting, and even an abnormal heartbeat.

噁心、嘔吐，甚至是心律不整。 ［非模擬情境，真的很痛］

The bullet ant is, in fact, crowned with the most painful insect sting.

事實上，子彈蟻是世界上 螫人最痛的昆蟲。

It's thought that they may have evolved such an excruciating defense

一般認為，這是因為 在牠們覓食的雨林樹冠叢中，

because they forage in rainforest canopies loaded with predators

住著許多喜愛蛋白質小點心的掠食者，

looking for proteinaceous snacks.

才讓牠們進化出這種 令人痛不欲生的防禦手段。

They can’t simply jump or fly away,

因為它們既不會跳也不能飛，

so perhaps they’re better off with this reliable, rather off-putting weapon.

所以這可靠且讓人退避三舍的武器 讓它們佔據優勢。

The tarantula hawk wasp’s formidable sting

沙漠蛛蜂的強大毒刺，

clocks in as the second most painful on the scale.

在「施密特螫痛指數」中勇奪第二。

And it’s likely the reason this wasp has no known predators.

這很可能是牠沒有掠食者的理由。

Honeybee stings are in the middle of the pain scale.

蜜蜂的刺在「施密特螫痛指數」中

排名中間。

But when many sting simultaneously,

但如果同時被許多蜜蜂螫，

what might’ve felt manageable at first becomes all the more dangerous.

一開始的也許尚能忍受， 但終會對身體造成嚴重傷害。

In fact, insect stings helped enable the evolution of complex colonies

實際上，昆蟲的毒刺有助於群體演化。

that would otherwise represent an easy feast to predators.

若非如此，牠們就只會是掠食者 能輕鬆享用的大餐。

Some stinging insects are, of course, more aggressive than others,

有些會螫人的昆蟲的確更具攻擊性，

but most of the time, they only sting us when we provoke them.

但大多時候，它們之所以攻擊我們， 是因為我們挑釁在先。

The truth hurts.

事實也會螫痛人的。